Our story begins with the journey that Carole Johnson made through her training and education into “blackness” and identity. From the elite predominately white school of Julliard through to the meeting of a choreographer who would become her mentor, Eleo Pomare, Black is Inclusive explores Carole’s political development in the black movement.

Black is Inclusive is the amazing opportunity to unearth a perspective of Australian political history that has never been shown before in such detail and with such truth. Our audience will feel like they are a part of the excitement of the early 1970s where that part of the story begins. They will feel as though they were there when decisions were fiery, and activists strategized.

Black is Inclusive gives the audience a level of access to the players and the political “agitators” like never before. The most unique part of this story is that we take our journey with an extremely important woman whose amazing story has never been told. Carole Johnson would not only play an integral role in the black movement of this country through the arts, but she would create a vision so powerful that it would change dance not only in Australia, but around the world forever.

When Carole made a powerful connection with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and in particular the political agitators of the period, Gary Foley, Paul Coe, Naomi Mayers, Mum Shirl, and Bob Maza, her timing could not have been better. Australia was in the midst of a political war between black and white Australians and “Black Dance” and “Black Theatre” were about to take their place as absolute game changers. However, the goodwill and camaraderie would eventually take a nasty turn.

Our story shows it would come at a cost for Carole when the very people who had been in support of her work and vision in the beginning would turn away and actively work in having her removed from the very organization she created because she was the “wrong black”.

This film is extremely raw and frank in its telling, with Carole weaving us through the politics and the constant battle to create change through dance. Although Carole is our thematic throughline in this film we also explore the other players of the day and how they affected this black dance movement and would eventually force Carole’s removal in the name of Self Determination.

This film asks the question: How do you change a country that refused to listen?